I ran across this intriguing subject while researching an early Surname Saturday article about the Pimple surname. I found several references to so-called “death by pimple” and researched further. Clearly, the problem was due to lack of an effective way to treat infection prior to the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. That’s not to say doctors didn’t try to treat infections. There were advertisements galore during the nineteenth century hailing various “miracle cures” for all sorts of maladies, pimples included. The first instance found in a search of “pimple” at Newspapers.com yielded an article about a suspect in the disappearance of a surgeon who “hath been set upon by some ill people.” NOTE: This article has been SNIPPED — we are now an affordable monthly digital (PDF) magazine available via subscription single purchase. More about the Digging History Magazine here (and how to get a FREE issue to TRY...

October is the spookiest month of the year, so a story about gravesite dowsing seemed in order for Halloween Eve-Eve, I guess you could call it. The article title pretty much encompasses the range of opinion regarding the subject, although I have to say a brief survey I conducted most decidedly leaned toward the “just plain hooey” side. Since, personally, I don’t really have an opinion (yet) one way or the other, I hope nonetheless you’ll find the article objective, informative, balanced — and hopefully interesting! And oh, please do tell me what you think — science, wizardry, witchcraft or just plain hooey? NOTE: This article has been SNIPPED — we are now an affordable monthly digital (PDF) magazine available via subscription single purchase. More about the Digging History Magazine here (and how to get a FREE issue to TRY OUT)....

In September of 1896 there was a whole lot of crushing going on in the world. Captain General Valeriano Weyler, a Spaniard, had been appointed the governor of Cuba. He was determined to “crush Cuba” by separating the rebellious insurgents from the civilian population. William Jennings Bryan was the Democratic candidate for president that year and everywhere Bryan went that month, he was met with a crush of crowds clamoring to hear him speak. On the other hand, Republicans were determined to crush “Bryanism”. The race would be a fierce one – William McKinley was being crushed by crowds wherever he went as well. The biggest crush, however, was a pre-planned event — the so-called “Crash at Crush”. NOTE: This article has been SNIPPED. Why? Digging History is now a monthly digital (PDF) magazine. This article will be included in a future edition of Digging History Magazine. Check out the latest issue here: www.digginghistorymag.com or try a subscription here. Want to TRY OUT the magazine? Click the magazine link in the previous sentence, then scroll to the bottom of any page and provide your email and Subscribe. A free issue will be coming your way...

Reverend Joy H. Fairchild had good reason to be physically, and no doubt mentally, emotionally and spiritually spent (if you haven’t read Part One of this story, you can read it here). He returned in September feeling somewhat better but still quite feeble. Reverend Fairchild would occasionally fill in when a regular pastor was away. The First Church in Exeter wanted him to become their pastor after he filled in for about six months in 1843. He consented and was officially installed on September 20. Fairchild may have supposed his troubles were all behind him, but not long after his installation he became aware of rumors and innuendoes circulated by none other than Deacon Vinton. The deacons of Phillips Church, South Boston, had broken their promise. Anonymous letters, full of slander, arrived in March of 1844, addressed to Reverend Henry Jewell and one of his congregants, James Burley. NOTE: This article has been SNIPPED. Why? Digging History is now a monthly digital (PDF) magazine. This article will be included in a future edition of Digging History Magazine. Check out the latest issue here: www.digginghistorymag.com or try a subscription here. Want to TRY OUT the magazine? Click the magazine link in the previous sentence, then scroll to the bottom of any page and provide your email and Subscribe. A free issue will be coming your way...

On February 22, 1918, with war raging across the seas in Europe, Harold and Addie Wadlow of Alton, Illinois welcomed their firstborn child into the world – Robert Pershing Wadlow. He was a little over eighteen inches long and weighed eight pounds and six ounces – a perfectly normal size and weight for a baby. Little did his parents know, however, what the future held for their firstborn child as six months later his height had almost doubled, his weight nearly quadrupled. His height and weight steadily increased – by the third grade Robert, towering over all his classmates, was taller than his teacher. Despite his size, however, he spent what would be considered a normal childhood – playing with friends, running a lemonade stand and joining the Boy Scouts. The Bloomer Shoe Factory made a special pair of size seventeen shoes for eight year-old Robert. NOTE: This article has been SNIPPED — we are now an affordable monthly digital (PDF) magazine available via subscription single purchase. More about the Digging History Magazine here (and how to get a FREE issue to TRY...

Seventy-one years ago the world was on edge as the Allies prepared to storm the beaches of Normandy. Americans waited anxiously to hear word and many towns and cities across the country made plans to sound sirens when word came the invasion had begun. California’s war council, however, decided to forego the sirens because, according to Governor Earl Warren, it would “be bad to celebrate until we’ve won something.”1 Woodall Rodgers, Mayor of Dallas, Texas received a letter from the National Noise Abatement Council criticizing plans to sound sirens across the nation because it would create “unnecessary and needless noise.” Rodgers ignored the criticism and emphasized the city of Dallas would herald the nation’s push into western Europe. Those sirens began to sound in Texas between 2:00 and 2:30 a.m. on the morning of June 6, 1944. In Houston most retail stores were planning to close and more than four hundred churches opened their doors early that day for twenty-four hours of special prayer for peace and early victory. NOTE: This article has been SNIPPED. Why? Digging History is now a monthly digital (PDF) magazine. This article will be included in a future edition of Digging History Magazine. Check out the latest issue here: www.digginghistorymag.com or try a subscription here. Want to TRY OUT the magazine? Click the magazine link in the previous sentence, then scroll to the bottom of any page and provide your email and Subscribe. A free issue will be coming your way...